A True Love Story
by Danalas the Lady Chaos
Summary: Sequel to "A Love Story." Six years ago, Leslie accepted her dreams. Now she's awoken from what have become nightmares. OC/OC and J/S pairings.
1. Dreams Can Be Nightmares

A True Love Story

Disclaimer: I don't own Jareth, Sarah, or anything else from the movie Labyrinth. It still belongs to Jim Henson productions. I'm just enjoying the chance to play in the sandbox.

A/N: This is a sequal to an older story called "A Love Story." As such, there will be some initial references back to the events in that story. While it isn't necessary to have read the original to get what's going on here, it might help with some of the minor details.

She had it all. The fantastic acting career. The handsome husband working for the UN as a translator. The beautiful daughter. The dream home in the suburbs. And yet, Leslie lived in fear. Sean was man she had dreamed of having as her husband, and yet, he was not. Shortly after their marriage, he had become abusive. It had been just verbal at first, but by the time Orchid was born, it had become physical.

Sean had left for New York that morning. Now was her chance to get out. Orchid was at school. Leslie took the chance to begin packing. She would get clothing and other things packed for herself and for her daughter. She would get money from the bank, find another place to stay, pick up Orchid from school, and be free.

Just as she opened the door, however, she saw Sean standing there. "Darling...you're home...I thought you were in New York..."

"The meeting got cancled." Sean eyed the suitcases. "Going somewhere without me?" He pushed Leslie back inside, slamming the door shut behind him. "You weren't planning on leaving me, were you?"

Before Leslie had a chance to protest, Sean was beating her harder than he ever had. As he hit her, he pushed her back. As he was pushing her towards the stairs, she tripped and fell backwards, hitting her head against the banister.

The last thing Leslie thought before losing consciousness was: _Why did I take my dreams?_

_A/N: Okay, so, yeah, it's a short first chapter. But chapter 2 is already in the works, I promise!_


	2. Leslie Awakens

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Jareth, Sarah, or anything else from the movie Labyrinth. It still belongs to Jim Henson productions. I'm just enjoying the chance to play in the sandbox.

When Leslie woke up, she was surrounded by silk. A dark red silk gown. Black silk sheets on a beautiful bed. Deep blue walls with silver glitter. It was nothing like any room she'd ever been in.

Sliding out of bed, Leslie looked herself over. There were no more bruises, faded or otherwise. Had she just dreamt it all? "Dreams..." she murmered. "My dreams..."

Realiziation hit her just as the door opened. In stepped the Goblin King, resplendant in leather and satin. "I see you're awake."

"Yes. Was I not supposed to be?"

"You would have woken up eventually. I've been monitoring your dreams, Leslie. I was hoping you would have woken up sooner, actually. Those were nightmares."

Leslie shrugged. "It wasn't all bad. But, does this mean I don't have Orchid?"

Jareth nodded. "None of it was real, I'm afraid. Right now, of course, you have a choice to make."

"What kind of choice?"

Jareth waved a hand, changing Leslie into a gown, and motioned for her to follow him as he explained. "When somebody chooses their dream, they are placed in one of these chambers. At the same time, however, they are Aboveground. I didn't always have these chambers, though. Take that Rip Van Winkle chap, for example. While he dreamt of dancing in a fairy ring, he was asleep on the mountain. However, as the Aboveground's population grew, there were fewer places to stow dreamers, so I started bringing them here."

"You mean there are people in these rooms living out their dreams, but still dreaming?" "Oh, absolutely. The only problem is that there still has to be a body in the Aboveground. This is where your choice comes in. In order to give you your dreams, I had to reorder time. You were hit by a semi while crossing the street, and you currently lie in a coma. You must choose whether to awaken from the coma with all your memories, awaken with total amnesia, or to die there and live out the rest of your life here in the Underground."

Leslie stopped walking. How was she supposed to make a choice like that? She knew that she had to, though. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Of course. For now, why don't you join me for dinner?"

Leslie agreed and followed Jareth to the dining room. At the table was another Fae male, also with dark hair and blue eyes. Unlike Sean, however, he had a beard.

"Jareth, why didn't you tell me we'd have such enchanting company?" he asked.

"She's a dreamer, Micheil. Turn off the charm." Jareth led Leslie to her seat. "Micheil, meet Leslie. As I said, she's a newly awakened dreamer, so behave. Leslie, this is Micheil. He's an old and somewhat annoying friend who likes to pop in unexpectedly."

"Sometimes those are the best kind," Leslie said, thinking back to her old friends before she'd taken her dreams. "Sometimes, they tend to show up just when they're needed."

"And Jareth definitely needs me," Micheil said. "He just doesn't know it."

Jareth reclined in his seat, a glass of wine in his hands. "Now what do I need you for?"

"To help you convince a certain young mortal woman that the two of you belong together."

Leslie perked up. "You mean the story in the book is true? Because I agree. Jareth and Sarah totally belong together."

Jareth set the goblet down with a sigh. "Yes, but she rejected me, remember?"

"But she had to think about her brother first, my friend," Micheil said.

"And she was still really young. Sometimes, when you're young, you don't know what you want," Leslie added, placing various pastries upon her plate. Yes, Micheil's eyes held a flame in them, and yes, fire could be dangerous to play with, but if Jareth trusted him enough to call him a friend, then why shouldn't she team up with him in this instance?

"You seemed sure of what you wanted when you were younger," Jareth reminded her.

"That reminds me, how long have I been dreaming? Was it in real time? And how am I still alive if it was?"

"Oh, it was very much in real time. So, you've been dreaming for…six years, now. As for how you're still alive, the magic kept you alive. The Labyrinth knows what you need."

"You mean I've been in a coma for six years, kept alive by machines? I'm surprised my family hasn't pulled the plug, yet." Leslie suddenly wasn't very hungry.

"I could arrange for them to do so, if that's what you want. You could stay here forever. I would make sure you had a place to stay and a way of making a living," Jareth offered.

Leslie glanced at him, and then at Micheil, who didn't seem unhappy with the prospect. It was another reason for her to wake up from her coma. She couldn't risk another relationship right now. "No. I'm grateful, Jareth, but I want to wake up. I can't hurt my family like that. And I want to keep my memories. If I don't remember what happened, I'm likely to make the same mistakes all over again."

Micheil looked sad, but Jareth simply nodded, all business. "So be it. It is a bit late, and what I'm about to do will require quite a bit of magic. I must be well rested for it. I'll do it in the morning. Meanwhile, I'll have a guest room set up for you."


	3. Awake In the Real World

Chapter 3

_The kisses were passionate. The caresses were gentle. And Micheil was swearing undying love for her. His skin felt good against hers. Too good, Leslie thought. And yet, she couldnt help giving in. He was an expert in touch, driving her to the heights of passion._

Leslie woke up with a jerk. It was still the middle of the night. The crystal moon, visible outside her window, was a little more than halfway through its journey. It had just been another dream, but felt oh so real. Would her dreams be that vivid from now on? Or would they lose such realism once she returned home for good?

Shaking her head in an attempt to clear it, she stood, going out to the balcony. Perhaps some fresh air would help.

Her room overlooked the gardens. She looked down into them, admiring the silvery flowers that bloomed at night, glowing almost as brightly as the moon. They were absolutely beautiful.

Silently, she thought over what would happen when she returned to the Aboveground. Would she be able to talk about what she knew to be true? She would never see Sean the same way again, that was for sure. She knew now that the end of their relationship had been a good thing. But who would she be able to talk to about what she had been through? Her cousin, perhaps, would understand. She was in love with fantasy.

It was amazing how tired she was, even though shed been sleeping for six years. Yawning, she returned to the soft bed and warm covers, falling quickly back asleep.

For the second time in as many days, Leslie woke up in an unfamiliar environment. Everything around her was white. It all looked and smelled sterile. Thinking back to what Jareth had told her, she realized that she was in the ICU of the hospital. She glanced around, looking for a familiar face. Finally, she saw her cousin. Sarah

Sarah jumped up, looking around. Finally realizing that Leslie was awake, she went over. "Its about time. You know weve been taking shifts for six years?"

Leslie smiled. "Its nice to know you all care. Where are Mom and Dad? And Aunt Karen and Uncle Robert and Toby?"

"Tobys at school. Karens at home. Dads at work. So are Aunt Rhiannon and Uncle Mark."

"Sarah, what happened? I mean, I know I got hit by a semi. He told me he reordered time to make that happen and give him an excuse to stow me so I could dream, as painful as it was, but does anybody know exactly how it happened other than him?" Leslie was struggling to sit up, and Sarah helped her, frowning.

"Who reordered time? Who is he? Did that bastard Sean do this?"

"No, Sarah, Jareth did it. Jareth, the Goblin King. You know that book you recommended? _Labyrinth_? Its real. Everything about it is real, Sarah. Ive been dreaming for the past six years. I wished Sean and Brenda away and took my dreams and Ive been dreaming that I was married to Sean and had a little girl and that I was a famous actress, but it became a nightmare because Sean was abusive, and then I woke up in the castle. Oh, Sarah, its all real. You believe me, dont you?"

Sarah was stunned. Shed recommended that book eleven years ago. "Yes.I knew it was real it's about me. At least, it became about me. I wished Toby away when we were fifteen. Toby doesnt remember. He was just a year old. Im going to kill Jareth. He could have killed you!"

"He made sure it wasnt lethal. Hes really not as bad as you might think. Hes not the villain that he was playing for you, Sarah, and he loves you. Micheil and I can both see that."

"Whos Micheil?"

"Another Fae. Hes an old friend of Jareths."

They couldnt continue their conversation, however, as a doctor came in at that moment. Upon seeing that his patient was awake, he got excited and began asking Leslie all sorts of questions about how she was feeling and how good her memory was. Did she know who she was? Did she know where she was? Did she remember what happened? Yes, yes, and yes.

When he was finally satisfied, the doctor went to notify the rest of Leslies family.

Leslie and Sarah continued to argue in hushed tones, mostly about whether or not Jareth deserved a chance to prove he wasnt such a villain after all. "I think you may have sustained brain damage after all, Sarah said, finally. The Goblin King is just an arrogant, cruel being. Hes not capable of love."

"You're wrong. He loves you. I could tell," Leslie said.

Any talk about the Underground, though, was halted when Rhiannon and Mark arrived. They were followed closely by Karen and Robert. Toby was still at school. Leslie was so relieved to see her family. She hadnt seen any of them in nearly six years. Even when shed been dreaming, she and Sean had been living on the west coast. Her parents seemed especially to have gotten older. She attributed it to worry and fear. But how could she tell any of them that she had been perfectly fine, that the Goblin King never would have let her die without her permission?


	4. Bring Us Through, Jareth!

Chapter 4

They kept her in the hospital for another week. By the time she got home, Leslie was quite sure that she never wanted to sleep again. The problem was that six years of not using her muscles had left her weak, meaning that she was no longer able to go on the long walks to which she had been accustomed. In the Underground, she had been able to walk, but she supposed her strength had been enhanced by the labyrinths magic.

Leslie exercised as much as she could every day, trying to build her muscles back up. She knew she might not ever get them back to their former strength, but at least she could get back to where she was functioning normally.

What truly bothered her, however, was that none of her friends had come to see her since shed gotten out of the hospital. Noelle had gotten married and moved away. Sasha was in graduate school. Caleb had moved off somewhere and nobody had heard from him since.

So it was just her family that had surrounded her, except for Sean, who had come to visit. He was sitting on her bed right now, trying to make idle conversation.

Leslie sighed. "Lets cut to the chase. Why did you come to visit me? Its not like were together anymore. You broke up with me six years ago. We didnt even remain friends."

Sean shrugged. "I feel a little guilty, I guess. If I hadnt broke up with you, you might not have been so depressed that you werent watching, and you wouldnt have gotten hit by that semi."

"Depressed? Is that what you think? That I was so depressed that I just wandered through traffic without paying attention to anything or anyone? Try angry, boy-o. After three years and after asking me to marry you, you decided to head off with some slut, and _then_ you broke up with me. You didnt even have the courtesy to break up with me before you started sleeping with her! Oh, I wish..." She was out of breath at that point, unable to maintain the momentum that she had built up so quickly. She wished she was back in the Underground where she didnt have to worry about being weak because the magic would sustain her until she could get her full strength back.

Suddenly, her stomach turned. She pulled herself out of bed and into the bathroom adjoining it, emptying her stomach of its contents. When she returned, she sipped long and hard at her ginger ale, just wanting her stomach to settle. The doctor had recently prescribed steroids to help the muscles build up faster, and shed been sick since the first dose.

Sean didnt say another word. He just left. Not that Leslie minded much. Shed seen what could have happened if the break-up _hadnt_ happened, and she was glad he was out of her life, now. It just wasnt fair.

With her parents at work and Sarah due over any time to take her turn babysitting, Leslie decided now was the best time to do what she needed to. Opening up her closet to the full length mirror, she looked into it. God, she looked so thin and pale, still. Now was her chance to find out if mirrors really worked as portals, like in fairy tales. "Jareth, I need to talk to you, please. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you. I noticed that _he_ was there. Planning to wish him away again?"

"No, I just need to know if you know of anything that might help with my nausea. The doctors wont prescribe anything for it. They just keep telling me to give it a couple of weeks and my body will get used to the steroids."

"Well, I probably have something, but first..." He looked up. "Somebodys coming."

Leslie tilted her head, then heard her door opening and Sarah calling out a greeting. I"ts okay. Its just my cousin. She knows everything."

"And she believes you?"

Leslie nodded, and then giggled. Sarah must have been standing behind her, because Jareth looked as if he were seeing a ghost.

"Leslie? Why is there a Goblin King in your mirror?" Sarah stopped short, staring at Jareths image.

"Hello, Sarah." Jareth developed an absolutely feral smile. "I was just telling Leslie that I would need to bring her here and have my healer look at her to deal with the nausea that the steroids are inflicting upon her. Would you honor me by coming with her?"

Leslie grinned at the idea and grabbed Sarahs hand before any protests could be made. "Oh, definitely a good idea. Bring us through, Jareth!"

A/N: Oh, poor Sarah, just being dragged into this without any consideration for her feelings! Dont worry, J/S fans. She and Jareth will get their chance to bond!


	5. Micheil: Dead Fae Walking

Chapter 5

"WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?" Sarah was _not_ happy about having been dragged, very suddenly, into the Underground, all due to the whim of her cousin. "Did that semi hit you harder than we thought and do some real brain damage?" she asked Leslie. Then she turned on Jareth. "And you! Fifteen years of absolutely nothing out of you, and suddenly, I find out that you're responsible for ramming a semi into my cousin and putting her into a coma and that the two of you are actually friendly with each other! Now will someone please explain this to me?"

"Well, I told you," Leslie said, "I wished away Sean and Brenda, and Jareth offered me my dreams or run the Labyrinth, and I took my dreams, and Ive been dreaming for six years. Now, hes going to help me get rid of the nausea from the stupid steroids."

"I believe she explained it quite well," Jareth said. Another man, much older looking, was approaching. "Ah, Pantaleon, Im glad youre here. The Lady Leslie has been ill from the steroids that her doctor gave her. I will trust you to help her with the unfortunate side effect, or perhaps to even heal her magically so that she no longer has a need for them?"

"Of course, your majesty." The old healer held out his hand. "Please, Lady Leslie, come with me. When I am done with you, you shall be at the top of health."

As Pantaleon led Leslie away, Jareth turned back to Sarah. "They may be a while. Something that makes Pantaleon the best is that he is quite thorough in making sure that nothing he prescribes to a patient will harm them." He extended his arm. "Might I have the honor of showing you around the castle, since you didnt get to see much of it the last time you were here?"

"Alright, but no LSD peaches," Sarah said, taking his arm. "If you try that one again, I might be forced to destroy your lovely ballroom again."

Jareth laughed as he walked with her. "You hardly destroyed it. That, too, was an illusion. I did create it as a perfect replica of the Crystal Ballroom, however. Would you like to see the real thing? Or perhaps the library would be more to your liking, or the gardens? Take your pick, Sarah. I will show you anything that you wish to see."

"I would love to see your library."

"Then you shall see it. I believe youll enjoy it. I have many books on the history of the Underground you might enjoy. Theyre like your Aboveground fairy tales, only more accurate."

"You cant possibly tell me that you've got the dirt on Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty."

The Goblin King just chuckled. "You mean the neat-freak and the narcoleptic? On them and many more, my dear. For instance, did you know that Jack was a con man and a thief?"

"Jack of _Jack and the Beanstalk_? I'd have never believed it. The story as I heard it is that the old man thought he was conning Jack, and that the things Jack took from the giant had belonged to Jacks father."

xxxxxxx

In one of the guest rooms, Leslie lay on the bed as Pantaleon scanned her over with a crystal. "I must know, of course, the makeup of the steroids that your doctor gave you. I have never understood the desire of Aboveground doctors to inject their patients with artificial hormones of any type. There are far more effective, and more natural, methods for everything that any artificial hormone can do. I'm detecting an increased amount of both estrogen and testosterone in you, as well as the anabolic steroids that most Aboveground doctors use for the purpose of building up muscles. No doubt he felt the need to return your cycle to normal, which explains the estrogen, but not the testosterone."

Leslie shook her head, confused. "No, he said he was only giving me anabolic steroids, not any of the sex hormones."

Pantaleon frowned slightly. "Well, then I must find the source of your increased estrogen and testosterone levels. I cannot treat you for your nausea unless I know whats causing them, or else I risk making it worse, instead. Tell me, is there a man in your life?"

"No. I havent had any type of relationship with a man in more than six years."

"Have you had any unusual dreams, especially before you returned to your own world? Dreams have a strange way of working, here, and they can have different effects upon the dreamer. I have seen many different outcomes to dreams, depending upon the dreams contents."

"I had one dream about Jareths friendMicheil, I think. It wasnt exactly unpleasant. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. Not that I would ever do that with him in real life, having just met him that night. But I figured, it was just a dream, so no real harm, right? Besides, I like him. I was actually hoping that, while Im here, I might join up with him in plotting against Jareth and Sarah."

Pantaleon, however, was only half listening after hearing Micheil's name mentioned. He had immediately switched the purpose of his scan, and his suspicions were confirmed. "Lady Leslie, you are pregnant."

"WHAT?!?"

"What's more, you are carrying twins."

Leslie's scream reverberated throughout the castle.

xxxxx

Sarah was up on one of the ladders, looking through Jareth's books. Jareth was below her, helping to hold the ladder steady. They both stiffened when they heard the scream. "That sounded like Leslie," Sarah said.

"Indeed it did. Shall we go see what the matter is?" Jareth asked, helping her down.

"I just wonder what your healer could have possibly told her to make her scream like that," Sarah mused as she and Jareth disappeared.

They reappeared in the guest room to find Leslie having an absolute fit.

"I'm going to kill him! I am absolutely, positively, going to kill him! Where's some iron when I need it? That bastard is going to pay!"

Jareth and Sarah looked inquisitively at Pantaleon, who seemed to be far more calm about whatever the problem was. The healer shook his head. "She's talking about Micheil. Apparently, your majesty, your friend seduced her in a dream. Now, she carries his children."

"Children?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, twins," Pantaleon confirmed.

"He's dead! Dead Fae walking! I'm going to kick his ass for this! What gave him the right to do this to me?" Leslie was still rambling on. To say that she was pissed was an understatement.

Sarah turned to where Jareth had been standing, only to find that he had disappeared. Not knowing where he had gone, she went over to Leslie, sitting next to her. "Calm down. Just think, you're going to be a mommy. Who cares how it came about?"

Leslie pouted. "I care. I wanted to have children with a man that I loved, not with some Fae that I barely know."

Sarah sighed. "Um, how exactly _did_ this work? I mean, I thought that both partners needed to be awake. Last I checked, it wasn't possible to be pregnant from a dream."

"Like Jareth, Micheil is rather adept with dream magic. A Fae who specializes in that area to believe that they're dreaming something that is actually happening."

"You mean he _raped_ me? Oh, he is so dead!"

"Well, not technically," Pantaleon said, softly. "You see, the difference between dreams like what Michiel used and real dreams is that, in a simulated dream, the person who is dreaming maintains control. You called the dream pleasant, so I'm guessing that you did not even try to resist."

Leslie crossed her arms, scowling. "Well, it was pleasant, I guess. And it did feel rather good. And I suppose, if I'd been fully awake...."

Just then, Jareth burst in, dragging Michiel by the ear. "I believe you had murderous intentions regarding this man?" he asked.

"Murderous? What'd I do?" Michiel wasn't sure what, exactly, this was about. He only knew Leslie was with the healer, and angry with him.

Leslie slid off of the bed and walked over to him. _Damn. Why does he have to look so good? How the hell am I supposed to stay mad at him with him giving me that confused, lost look?_ "I'll let him live. His children will need their father around, so he'll live so long as he behaves himself and is willing to be responsible for his actions."


	6. Two Proposals

Chapter 6

Micheil's eyes went wide. Children? His children? "So, you're not sick? Because when Jareth said that you were with Pantaleon, I was worried."

Leslie grabbed him roughly by his shirt. "No, Im not sick. Im pregnant with twins. And youre the father. So are you going to step up? Or do I take your head?"

Micheil let out a yell and swept Leslie off her feet, spinning around. "I'm gonna be a daddy!"

"Oh no, no, put me down!" The panic in Leslies voice was almost amusing, would have been if she didn;t look so pale. When Micheil did as she requested, she fell back onto the bed, holding her stomach. "You do that again," she said, "I may just go ahead and puke on you."

"Warning duly noted," he said. "So, will you marry me, then? I mean, we should be wed. You don;t want our children to be illegitimate, do you?"

"Micheil, we hardly know each other. I mean, we just met a month ago, and we haven't even seen each other since then. I don't even know your last name, or if Fae even have last names."

"Its Alasdair. So, be Lady Alasdair?"

As Leslie and Micheil continued to debate about whether or not marriage was a good idea, Sarah and Jareth wandered off. "How long do you think it will be before one of them gives in?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Micheil can be very persuasive when he wants to be. He's always been good at getting what he wanted. It's those eyes. He's very good with his eyes and the puppy dog look," Jareth admitted. "But then, from what I've seen of Leslie, she's as stubborn as you are, _cara__ mia."_

Sarah stopped short and looked at Jareth when he said that. Did he mean that? She shrugged it off. "Well, despite Leslie's objections, she does have a bit of a traditional streak. If Micheil can manage to push those buttons just enough without implying that she couldn't do it as a single mother, she might just give in. So, whats yours?"

"What's my what?"

"Your last name, Goblin King. What is it?"

"It's Gwenael. Why? Thinking of taking it?" Jareths grin was almost feral. "Queen Sarah Elizabeth Gwenael, nee Williams. Hmm, I do like the sound of that, dont you?"

"How did you know my middle name?"

Jareth shrugged. "I've only been watching you since you were born." He stopped where they were, turning Sarah to face him. "Sarah, we Fae sense it the moment Fate binds our souls to that of our mates. I waited for nearly a thousand years before you were born, and I felt it. I immediately took my owl shape and flew Aboveground just in time to watch your parents give you your name. It's not something that always happens at birth, but the sooner two souls are tied together, the stronger the bond. That's why you not only were able to call on me and wish your little brother away but you were able to defeat the Labyrinth. It is a living being, Sarah, and it recognized you. It made itself just enough of a challenge to make sure you were worthy, but not so much that you would be harmed. You are a mortal. If you reject me, you will be able to find another mate. I might take a Fae woman as queen if that happens. I might enjoy her company. She might provide me with an heir. I might even develop some sort of love for her, but it will never be what I would have with you."

Sarah looked at him. Before she had run the labyrinth, she had known him only as a character in a favorite book. She had loved the very idea of him. During her time running to save Toby, he had trapped her in a ball that was more dream than reality in more ways than one. They were the only two not wearing masks in that ball. In the Escher room, he had practically proposed marriage. "Jareth..."

"Don't answer now, Sarah. I don't want you to feel pressured. Whether or not I'm allowed to court you is entirely up to you. I'm willing to accept whatever you want, but if you let me, I'll court you properly. I assure you that there will be no dream seductions, no surprise pregnancies. If it gets to the point where I get you to agree to marry me, it would be a royal wedding, not some shotgun wedding like what Micheil and Leslie will probably have."

"It sounds like our wedding would involve a lot of planning."

"It would."

"So I suppose we might as well start." Sarah smiled at Jareth's surprised look and kissed him. "I've been in love with you since I was fifteen. I was just too young and immature, last time. Besides, I had to save Toby."

Jareth drew Sarah into his arms, initiating another kiss, a deep, passionate kiss that let her knew exactly how he felt. When he broke away, he conjured up a crystal that promptly exploded, leaving in its place a gold ring, a copy of the symbol on Jareths necklace on either side of a perfectly round crystal. "I'm going to do this right," he said, kneeling down, taking her hand. "Sarah, will you marry me?" She simply nodded, and Jareth slipped the ring on her hand.

"We'd better go back and check on Leslie and Micheil," Sarah said, finally.

"I agree. The sooner we get back, the less likely she is to draw blood."

Together, they walked back towards the guest room where they had left the two parents-to-be. They could hear nothing as they approached, and they looked at each other, worried. "Do you think she's already killed him?" Sarah asked.

"I should think not," Jareth said, shaking his head. "Aside from the fact that she promised to let him live so long as he behaved, Micheil is almost as powerful as I am. Leslie would have to be a Fae, herself, to hurt him seriously, let alone kill him." Cautiously, he reached out and threw the door open.

Inside, Micheil was bouncing around, an excited look on his face. Leslie lay on the bed. When she saw Jareth and Sarah finally return, she bolted over to them, grabbing each one by their shirts. "Dont you EVER leave me alone with him like that again! Ever since I finally gave in and agreed to marry him, he's been bouncing around the room in a state of ecstasy, and _he won't stop._ And on top of that, he keeps gibbering on about his bond-mate. What the hell is going on with him?"

Sarah started laughing, sinking against the wall when Leslie finally let go of her. Jareth chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "It's simple. You are his bond-mate. He must have recognized it that night at dinner, after you first woke up. As I told Sarah, all Fae feel it when Fate binds them to their bond-mate. It's a relationship that's supposed to bind the two for life, though it is possible to have some sort of marriage between two people who are not bond-mates. For a Fae to find his or her bond-mate in a mortal is rare. Two at the same time is incredible."

Pantaleon, long forgotten in all of the excitement, finally spoke up. "It would be unwise for the Lady Leslie to travel between realms again while she is still pregnant."

"But what about my family?" Leslie asked. "They're going to be worried."

"I'll tell them," Sarah said. "I could go back and tell everybody."


	7. Onyx and Leslie's Labor

Chapter 7

Leslie and Sarahs family took it better than anyone would have expected. Naturally, there were questions about Sarahs sanity, at first. And then there were questions about the nature of the Underground and the Goblin Kingdom. Then there were questions about just _how_ Sarah and Leslie had come to know of this magical place, let alone that it was real. Robert and Karen were unhappy that Sarah had actually wished Toby away, though did forgive her, since she had, after all, gotten him back. Rhiannon and Mark were unhappy that Sarah had been such a bad influence on Leslie, but forgave her because they were going to be grandparents. And Toby? He was just happy that he was going to get to visit the Underground, and actually get to remember it, this time.

At the moment, Karen was visiting. A wedding planner by trade, and with an eye for fashion, she was helping Sarah to design her wedding gown. Though Leslie and Michiel had a quick, quiet ceremony, Sarah and Jareths would have to be extravagant to satisfy the majority of the Underground nobility. They were discussing the pros and cons of a corset verses a lightly boned bodice and straps verses sleeves when Jareth knocked on the door. "Just a minute!" Sarah called out. She and Karen quickly hid the drawings. "Alright, its safe!"

Jareth walked in, a small black lump of something in his arms. It looked like a stuffed animal, until it moved, and Sarah realized it was real. Jareth scritched a little behind the animals ears, and its head rose up, revealing itself to be a Labrador retriever puppy. "Somebody actually wished this poor little creature away," he said. "He said his sire was from the wrong stock, and he wouldnt have mongrels around who were bred from anything but the best stock, whatever that means. So, I thought I would bring him to you. Apparently, hed managed to get rid of all the others, but nobody would take this one for being the runt."

"Oh, Jareth, he's adorable," Sarah cooed, taking the sweet little puppy. The puppy, sensing that all was well, wagged his tail and licked Sarahs face, causing her to giggle.

"That was very sweet of you, Jareth, Karen said. Im not much of a dog person, myself, but Sarah was absolutely miserable after Merlin died a couple of years ago. She loves animals of all sorts. That puppy has got a good home with the two of you, provided you can keep him away from your goblins."

Jareth arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And who would be in greater danger? The puppy or the goblins?"

"Hard to tell," Karen admitted.

"Labs can be destructive," Sarah added. "He'll chew on _everything_ for the first couple of years. And he'll eat until he's sick." By now the puppy was chewing on Sarahs hand. "We'll have to work hard to train him," she said, pulling her hand away and giving him a light bap on the nose. "No. You can't chew on Mommy." The puppy looked up at her, confused, then went right back to chewing on Sarahs hand. Sarah just smiled, pulled her hand away again, and repositioned it so that the puppy couldnt reach it. "See what I mean?"

"So, what will you name this one?" Karen asked.

"Onyx," Sarah said, definitively. "He's definitely an Onyx. And look at the size of these paws. Are you going to grow into these paws, Onyx baby? Of course you will. You're going to be huge."

*&*&*&

A week later, Onyx had proved just how destructive he could be. Sarah and Leslie watched, amused, as the puppy, two months old, orbited around the throne room, terrifying goblins and chickens alike. Jareth and Michiel walked in and were nearly toppled by him. It was not Onyxs size that gave him the advantage. He was still only 20 pounds. No, it was his speed. Onyx, however, just looked up at the two Fae men, wagged his tail happily, gave a little bark, and then returned to orbiting. But Sarah worked with him every day, and he was castle-broken by the time Leslie started showing. As Leslie neared her due date, Onyx had topped 50 pounds. He was still wild, orbitting randomly around the castle and chewing on anything he could find, but Leslie and Sarah were reasonably sure that the little fluffball wouldn't be too much of a threat to the twins once they were born.

Michiel, for his part, had calmed down some, as well. At least, he was no longer _visibly_ bouncing off the walls, something for which Leslie was eternally grateful. She just hoped and prayed that her children would take more after her than their father.

At the moment, it was the type of night that Edward Bulwer-Lytton would have written about. Not that anybody noticed or cared. In the crystal ballroom, all was lively and gay, with nobles from all the kingdoms having come to finally meet Jareth's chosen queen at a very large and lavish ball. There were gold and silver streamers everywhere. There was glitter around the room. Peach wine flowed freely. It was a night of romance, and even Leslie finally gave in and agreed to dance with Michiel, whom she had become more and more fond of over the past several months. "Just keep it slow," she warned him. "I can barely waddle, and anyway, I don't know this dance."

"Don't worry, my love. Just follow my lead."

"I need to sit down. My feet are killing me. So are my ankles. And my back. Oh, everything just hurts."

From across the ballroom, Sarah and Jareth watched the scene in amusement. "I hope that I don't complain that much when we have our first child," Sarah said.

"If she would stop being so stubborn and just let him help her, there's plenty of magic to ease the pain," Jareth said, shaking his head, half-laughing, half-serious.

"Why can't he just ease the pain now?"

"It's a spousal thing. You have to have your spouse's permission to work magic on them. It's the same with blood family members. It's supposed to help prevent family feuds. It's a very old magical barier."

Just then, Leslie let out a long howl, as if Michiel had just stepped on her already sore toes. Her doubling over told a different story, however, and Michiel scooped her up, carrying her out. Sarah made a move to follow, but Jareth stopped her. "They're okay to leave," he said, "but it would look very badly on us if people notice that we are gone from our own ball. I'll get a servant to go fetch Pantaleon."

"But Jareth, we can't just let them go through this alone. She's in pain, and soon, he'll be in pain, too, if he dares to get within arm's length."

"I didn't say we weren't leaving, my love. I just said we weren't going to let people _notice._ Just give me a few moments to work a little magic." He caught the eyes of Sarah and Lesie's family, then, motioning them over. While Sarah quickly explained what was going on to Karen, Robert, Mark, and Rhiannon, Jareth conjured up an illusion for himself and Sarah, while Mark and Rhiannon left to check on Leslie, and Robert and Karen excused themselves to go make sure that Toby, curled up asleep with Onyx in one of the guest rooms, was also okay.

Tonight was going to be one of those nights.


	8. Mohandas

Chapter 8

As the family waited outside the room for an announcement that the twins had been born, a goblin soldier approached Jareth, drawing him aside. The two had a brief conversation before Jareth returned. Only Sarah noticed the change in his countenance. "Whats wrong?" she asked.

"I will tell you later. I need to talk to Michiel about it, first."

Sarah frowned, but nodded her understanding, distracted by the sudden silence from the other side of the doors. This was followed by one loud wail and then another. One of the twins had made their arrival. A minute passed, and then another. In all, more than ten minutes passed before the second twins cries could be heard. The whole group waited in anticipation, Toby barely staying awake this late, until the midwife finally exited with a nod of satisfaction. "They're healthy, a boy and a girl," she announced. "The boy was born first. The lot of you can go on in, now, but don't keep the Lady Leslie up for long. She needs her rest." With this final, stern order, she went on her way.

The multitude ran in, crowding around the bed in which Leslie rested, a newborn in each arm, Michiel at her side. "Aren't they perfect?" he asked. "All three of them. I have got to be the luckiest Fae alive."

"Don't start bouncing off the walls again," Leslie said, tiredly. "It's too late in the evening, and I don't have the energy to deal with it."

"Too early in the morning, you mean," Jareth said. "It's nearly four."

"Well then it's far past Toby's bedtime. No wonder he can't stay awake," Karen said.

"Can we come and see the children again, tomorrow?" Rhiannon asked.

"If you guys don't mind, I'd just rather rest for a few days," Leslie said, letting Michiel take Aidan and Nadia and place them in their new bassonettes. She turned over on her side, very much ready to sleep. "Sleep and bond with my children and all that."

Rhiannon and Karen looked at each other. They both remembered far too well those first few days after giving birth. Leslie's request really wasn't all that unreasonable. They agreed, and Jareth took them home.

While Sarah was saying goodbye to her family and Jareth was ensuring the safety of those who had been at the ball to get them all out of there before anything happened, Michiel stayed by Leslie's side. From his pocket, he pulled a small box and opened it. From the box, he pulled a silver ring. In the ring was set a white, oval shaped opal, surrounded by a halo of diamonds that was interrupted four times, at top, bottom, and each side by a blue topaz. "I have a gift for you, my love." (If you wanna see it, it's here. www. gordonsjewelers. com /product/ ? product Id = 4065115 & cp = 2633775 Just eliminate the spaces.)

Leslie pushed her eyes open, smiling at the ring. "It's pretty. Thank you."

Michiel slipped it onto her hand. "It's important that you never take it off. It's magic. That opal will stay perfect and beautiful so long as our bond is never severed."

"But that would mean the death of one...of...us..." As tired as Leslie was, her mind was still sharp. "You think we might be separated in a situation where one of us might be killed." It wasn't a question.

"We're nobility, my darling. Jareth is next in line to be High King of the Underground. Our friendship with him alone puts our family in possible danger."

At that point, Jareth poked his head in. "Michiel, I need to talk with you, now."

Michiel nodded, kissed Leslie on the forehead, and joined his friend out in the hall, closing the door gently behind him. "What is so important that you had to tear me away from my wife and children?"

"Don't blame me," Jareth said. "Blame Mohandas."

"Titania's young charge?"

"He's not so young. He's over four-hundred years. But his youth isn't the point. The point is that he has troops outside the walls of the Labyrinth, right now. The Labyrinth and the creatures dwelling within can hold him off for a while, but we need to get Sarah, Leslie, and the twins out of here, now."

"I hate to wake Leslie just as she's getting to sleep, my friend, but you're right. I'll get her and the twins prepared while you explain the situation to Sarah."

As Jareth explained things to Sarah and helped her prepare blankets, a very grumpy Leslie was asking Michiel some questions. "Who the hell is Mohandas and why is he attacking?"

"Ever read _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ by that Shakespeare bloke?"

"Yeah..."

"Mohandas would be the name of Titania's Indian boy. Of course, he's no boy anymore. He's jealous because he knows that Jareth is going to succeed his brother as High King of the Underground. He figures that if he can kill Jareth before Jareth and Sarah get married, then Oberon and Titania will be forced to finally name him the crown prince."

All this time, Michiel was helping Leslie to get ready, as well as the twins. Jareth and Sarah came in. Sarah and Leslie each took a newborn, and Jareth and Michiel led them down to the dungeons, to a secret tunnel. "At the end of this tunnel is a special portal to the Aboveground," Jareth said. "I've got it spelled so that only the four of you can go through it. Take the twins through to the other side. It leads to Leslie's parents' house. One the two of you enter, we're sealing the passage so that Mohandas' men can't use it to enter the castle."

The girls nodded and, kissing their respective Fae, took off, the tunnel entrance sealed behind them, only a bit of torchlight at the other end lighting the way. Their minds were so exhausted that they didn't realize that they shouldn't be approaching the torches so quickly until it was too late. Both of them screamed as two of Mohandas' men grabbed them, two more ripping the newborns from their arms.


	9. Beware the Women of the Warrior Class

Chapter 9

Sarah and Leslie were brought to Mohandas fortress, right up to the man himself. The extended life that the Underground bestowed upon all mortals had allowed Mohandas to age well. He looked no older than thirty. He had one of his guards check the girls for weapons. Leslie had none. From Sarah, the guard took a dragon-shaped necklace, the tail of which could be pulled out, revealing a very sharp knife. Leslie nervously glanced down at the opal. Finding it still intact, she breathed a little easier. Sarah looked affronted at the idea that her necklace had been taken away, but one look at her cousin told Leslie that there was more up Sarah's sleeve than met the eye.

Between Mohandas and the two women his men had captured sat a table. On the table were sat the twins, who were crying, wanting their mother. "Which one of you is the Lady Sarah?" Mohandas asked.

"I am," Sarah said, her voice not wavering. A guard gripped her arm and brought her around to Mohandas, who took over, drawing her close.

"Yes, I can see what Jareth saw in you. You are quite the beauty. But since Jareth is almost certainly dead by now, or will be soon, I'm sure he wont mind letting me have you."

"You bastard!" Sarah spat in his face.

Mohandas wiped his cheek off, slapping Sarah. This enraged Leslie, who ran towards him, ready to strangle the man in front of her, but two guards held her back.

"I wouldn't do anything rash if I were you," Mohandas growled, motioning to one of his men. This one pulled out a sword, holding it over the now screaming newborns. Both Leslie and Sarah stopped short. "Ah, I see I have your attention," Mohandas said, a cruel smile gracing his lips. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to the little ones, would you? Their lives are forfeit, though, unless you do exactly as I tell you both. Lady Sarah, you _will_ be my bride. Lady Leslie, you will be pressed into service. So long as you serve me well, you can keep your children. After all, when my heir is born, we'll need a wet nurse."

Sarah and Leslie just looked at each other. Leslie gave another quick look at her ring. The opal was still intact. If Michiel was still alive, then there was a good possibility that so was Jareth. She gave Sarah a slight nod of her head. _Don't worry_, the nod said. _We can make it out of here alive. I know we will._

_(_)()()()

Back in the Castle beyond the Goblin City, Jareth and Michiel slumped to the floor, exhausted. "We're getting too old for this, my friend," Michiel said.

"Agreed. Do you think love is making us soft?"

Michiel said nothing, but Onyx gave a bark in answer, licking both of the Fae men's faces. Michiel reached over and scratched him behind the ears. "You finally proved your worth, you little terror."

Jareth laughed. "Who knew that terrorizing Goblins and chickens would turn him into a good fighter?" he asked, also giving the young dog an affectionate scritch. Onyx barked happily. "Come on. Let's go get your momma and Aunty Leslie and the twins," Jareth said, finally.

Jareth took his owl form, Michiel, that of a hawk, and the two Fae flew to the Aboveground. It was daylight, there, and the livingroom window of Leslie's parents' house was wide open to let in the fresh air and sunlight. They flew right in, transforming back to their normal forms. Rhiannon, who was reading on the couch, looked up at her son-in-law and his friend. "Michiel, Jareth, what brings the two of you here?"

"We came to let Sarah and Leslie know that it was safe to return to the Underground. Where are they?" Michiel said.

Rhiannon gave them a confused look. "What do you mean, safe to return? I didn't know it was dangerous!" She sat her book down. "As for where Sarah and Leslie and the twins are, I don't know."

"You mean they never arrived?" Jareth asked, stunned.

"Were they supposed to?"

"They should have arrived early this morning, not long after you and Mark," Michiel said, frowning. He and Jareth looked at each other. If Leslie and Sarah hadn't made it, then that meant...

"We'll be back," they said in unison, taking on their bird forms and flying off again.

()()()()()

Leslie was in a peasant gown, nursing her children, who had finally stopped crying once they were safe back in their mother's arms. Sarah was in Mohandas's chambers, where he threw her onto the bed. Mohandas leaned down over her, his hands sliding up under her skirt. Sarah reached her right hand into her left sleeve. "Karera wa tatchi no ryōhō utsukushii chimei-teki na subete no bushi kaikyū no josei o chūi shite kudasai." With that, she drew out the fan that she had kept up her sleeve this whole time, opening it swiftly across Mohandas' throat. The razor wire on the edge of the fan cut into Mohandas' skin, leaving the fabric of the fan stained with his blood that also fell onto Sarah's bodice. She pushed his body away, letting him choke to death on his own blood. Then she ran out of the room to find Leslie.

She found Leslie on her knees, scrubbing the kitchen floor, the twins nearby on a spread out blanket, Leslie looked up, surprised to see Sarah there. "What did you do?" she asked.

Sarah just smirked, sliding her fan back up her sleeve. So, Leslie realized, Sarah had _literally_ had something up her sleeve. "We need to move fast," Sarah said. "Mohandas is dead, and his men will be out for revenge." That said, she picked up Aidan, while Leslie picked up Nadia.

The two women reached the doors of the fortress just as Jareth and Michiel were making their way inside. The two Fae grabbed their significant others and poofed them out of there, leaving large piles of glitter behind.

**A/N: Real quick, I want to thank my friend Sarah, who helped me out with the Japanese. It's not a perfect translation, seeing as I don't speak Japanese at all and she's not fluent, so if any of you speak Japanese more fluently and see a problem with it, please, let me know. But, translated into English, it's supposed to read "Beware the women of the warrior class. Everything they touch is both beautiful and deadly." My friend and I figured that Jareth would never leave Sarah unarmed, and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for Sarah to have studied Japanese in high school.**


	10. Happy Ever After

"And that is how the princess bravely saved herself, her cousin, and her cousin's children, and the princess and her cousin ran together, each carrying a child, until they met up with their true loves," Sarah said, tucking son, Liam, into bed.

"Then what happened, Mommy?" Liam asked.

"Well, Lady Leslie and Lord Michiel stood as maid of honor and best man when Princess Sarah married King Jareth. And a year later, King Jareth and Queen Sarah announced the birth of a handsome baby boy, Prince Liam of the Goblins."

"That's me!" Liam said.

"That's right, my darling. And now it's time for you to go to sleep. You'll be six tomorrow, and everybody's going to be here for a party just for you."

"Alright, Mommy." Liam, holding his stuffed goblin tightly, turned over, falling asleep.

"That was a beautiful story," Jareth said from the doorway.

Sarah smiled. "It's one of my favorites," she admitted. "Remind me tomorrow to finally thank Leslie for dragging us down here when she was pregnant with the twins."

Jareth just laughed. "It was one of her better impulses, wasn't it?"

"How about a girl this time?"

"Sarah, my love, do you mean to tell me...?"

"I just found out, today," Sarah said, her eyes shining with happiness. "I plan on waiting until after Liam's party to tell everyone, though. After all, tomorrow is _his_ day."

With that, the Goblin King took his Queen and disappeared with her, reappearing in their own quarters. He kissed her passionately, oh so glad for his own true love story.

A/N: Okay, so sorry about this being so short. I decided to skip the wedding and all that. It seems like every single S/J romance includes the wedding, and I'm running out of new ideas on how to do it. Besides, this way of ending it just seemed right. After all, we need some new creativity. It's way too quiet on the List. Not subscribed to the Labyrinth fanfiction mailing list? Here's the addy! mail (.) atlchai (.) org /mailman/listinfo/labyrinth-fanfic (just remove the parenthesis and spaces)


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